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- 1,486,700 H. P. TOMPKINS March 11, 1924.

EXTENSION RAIL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8. 1923 HETmp/(z'm,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY WlTNESSEs Patented Mar. 11, 1924.

UNITED STATES HAROLD P. TOMPKINS, OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

EXTENSION RAIL.

Application filed June 8,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HAROLD P. TOMPKINS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county ofKanawha and State of Vest Virginia, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Extension Rails, of which the following is aspecification.

In mines, quarries and the like, the track rails for cars requirefrequent short extensions at the loading or working faces of the mines.The laying of these extension tracks requires a considerable amount oftime and labor, and therefore it is the object of this invention toproduce a track projector or extension which may be readily positionedon the rails of the ordinary track in an easy, quick and expeditiousmanner to cause the cars to be properly guided from the main on to theextension track, the construction being such that the rails constitutingthe track extension will be automatically aligned or gauged by thetravel of a car thereover.

A further object is to produce rails to provide projections orextensions for the rails of a mine or other car track, each of whichcomprising a channeled member of a desired length having a centralgroove therein to receive the flanges of the car wheels, susceptible toarrangement on either of the track rails so that the weight of the carmay be delivered on to the faces of the extension rails at either sideof the groove therein, and wherein said rails have at their outer endshandle portions which materially facilitate the arrangement of the sameon the track rails and also provide stops for the car wheels.

A still further object is to produce extension rails for the tracks ofmine cars or the like which may be laid without necessitating thesecuring thereof to the main rails and which are supported without theemployment of the ordinary ties.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects which will presentthemselves as the nature of the invention is better understood,reference is to be had to the drawings which accompany and which formpart of this application.

In the drawings Figure I is a top plan view illustrating the applicationof the improvement.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

1923. Serial No. 644,226.

Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged transverse sectional view through one ofthe extension rails in a line with the combined handle and stop thereon.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the end of one of the rails to moreclearly illustrate the inclined or beveled corner thereon.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view to more clearly illustrate theengagement of the wedge with the rail and the extension.

The rails constituting the track 1, in a mine or quarry are of the usualconstruction and are spiked to the ties 2.

Then the face or working place of a mine or quarry has been cut away torequire an extension of the track 1, it is the ordinary practice to layadditional aligning rails on additional ties 2. The rail extensions areconnected to the ends of the main rails by fish plates or analogousmeans and the ex tension rails are spiked to their ties. Especially inmines, where head room is small, the laying of such track extension isslow, laborious and dangerous, and to obviate such contingencies Iprovide a track projector or extension that comprises a pair of railmembers of a peculiar construction but amply efficient for the purpose.Each of my improved rails is in the nature of a channeled member,comprising preferably outwardly inclined sides 3 that have their loweredges bent outwardly to provide feet 4. The top 5 of each of the railsis flat and the said top is of a width greatly in excess of that of theheads of the rails of the track 1. The flat head 5 of my improved railis centrally channeled, as at 6. This channel is provided by groovingthe flat top 5 to provide the same with depending parallel walls 6 and alower rounded wall 7.

The portions of the rail extension 8 which rest on the main rails arepreferably straight, and the portions that project beyond the ends ofthe said main rails are preferably inclined downwardly to rest on thefloor of the mine or quarry. Adjacent their outer ends the rail members8 have riveted or otherwise secured to their sides substantiallyU-shaped combined handle and car wheel stop members 10. The members 10facilitate the handling of the rails 8.

With my improvement the extension rails are arranged over the heads ofthe rails of the main track so that the side walls 6 of the extensionrails will contact with the sides of the heads of the respective mainrails As either of the extension tracks maybe arranged on either rail ofthe main track. it will be apparent that the flange of the wheel of thecar 11 may travel over either portion of the head 5 at the opposite sideof the groove of the rail, and consequently two car tread receivingsurfaces are provided. when arranged on the rails the handles aregrasped and the extension rails are slid outwardly from the main trackto proper position with respect to the face or working place in a mineor quarry. The operator can, by his eye, determine if the ends of theextension rails are disposed opposite each other. The car 11 travelingtoward the face or working place of the mine or quarry will travel oilof the rails of the main track over the beveled ends 12 of the railextensions and be guided thereby so that their wheel flanges will bereceived in the grooves 6 and their treads be delivered on to the flattop of the raile extensions. The movement the car over the extensionrails, in view of the contacting engagement of the 7 wheel flanges withthe walls of the said grooves will cause the extension rails to beproperly gauged. As this action is automatic, its value will beappreciated to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates.The ends of the projecting rails will rest on the floor of the mine orquarry so that they will assume a downward inclination with respect tothe rails of the main track and consequently afford more head room in amine, the vertical crown or middle ordinate of the extension railallowing the other end to tit snugly to the main track rail. The railextensions, at suitable intervals from their lapping engagement with therails of the main track may be braced by shale, rock, or other materialdisposed on the floor under the said rails. If desired, a wedge 14 maybe inserted between the heads of the rails of the main track and theangle sides of the rails 8 adjacent thereto so that the inner ends ofthe rail extensions will he firmly connected to the rails of the maintrack.

lVith my improvement a track can be ex tended in a very short period oftime and by a Single hand, and no tools or securing means are required.This can be accomplished by an ordinary miner. Because of its width andthe feet i on the sides thereof, the track extension will not sink intothe floor to any comparative degree and any slight sinking will onlyserve to hold the rails of the said track extension in proper alignment.The rails 8 can be removed as easily as positioned, are interchangeable,can be used over and over indefinitely, over wood, steel or other kindof ties and on any size rails or gauge track.

My improved extension rail may be ar ranged upon either wooden or metalties, and in Figure 3 of the drawings, the tie 2 has its central portionof wood and its upper face of metal and its lower face of wood. Thesect-ions are of different sizes. This, as a matter of fact, disclosesthree separate ties upon any one of which the main rails and theextension rails may be positioned.

Having described the invention, I claim l. A car track extension formines, quarries or the like, comprising a pair of channeled members eachof a width materially greater than the cross sectional width of theheads of the mine car rails, and each centrally and longitudinallygrooved to permit either of the side walls provided by the groovecontacting the side of the car rail heads, and wedgmg means for holdingthe track extensions in such position.

2. An extension track for the car tracks of mines, quarries, etc.,comprising a pair of similarly constructed rails, each comprising across sectionally U-shaped member having the edges of its sides bentoutwardly to provide feet and each having its fiat head centrallychanneled longitudinally, each of said track extensions being of amaterially greater width than the cross sectional width of the head ofthe mine car rails whereby either of the side walls provided by thegroove in the track extensions will be brought next to the side of thesaid rails when the track extensions are arranged on the mine car rails,and means wedging the inner ends of the track extensions to the rails ofthe track.

3. In combination with a railway track, of an extension therefor,comprising a pair of similarly constructed rails each constituting amember which is substantially U- shaped in cross section, having itssides inclined outward and terminating in bent feet, theflat face ofeach rail extension being centrally channeled longitudinally, either ofthe side walls provided by the channel designed to contact with the sideof the traclr rail head when arranged thereover, the sides of each ofthe track extensions being inclined, and a combined handle and car wheelstop secured to each of the track extension rails adjacent to the outerend thereof.

4. In combination with a railway track, of an extension therefor,comprising a pair of similarly constructed rails each constituting amember which is substantially U shaped in cross section, having itssides inclined outward and terminating in bent feet, the flat face ofeach rail extension being centrally channeled longitudinally, either ofthe side walls provided by the channel designed to contact with the sideof the track rail head arms secured to the sides of the rail extenon theheads of the car rails and outer insions adjacent to the outer endthereof and clincd portions to rest on the floor of the providing acombined handle and car Wheel mine, and each of said rail extensionsbeing 10 stop. centrally and longitudinally channeled to re- 5 5. Anextension for the tracks in mines, ceive the flanges of car Wheelstherein.

etc, comprising a pair of channeled meni- In testimony whereof I affixmy signature. bers having inner straight portions to rest HAROLD P.TOMPKINS.

